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Cabinet to consider whether to proceed with new care company idea to deliver high quality care accommodation
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| Wednesday 9th June 2010 |
Norfolk County Council Cabinet members will decide next week (Monday 14 June) whether to pursue the idea of creating a new public sector care company to help meet the demand for high quality accommodation with care for older people in Norfolk.
Members of the Cabinet agreed in principle to the proposals in March 2010. In April, the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee, in their role of overseeing Council matters and reviewing decisions, asked that the Adult Social Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel have the opportunity to consider the principle of the care company before Cabinet makes a formal decision whether to explore this idea further. This approach was supported and Cabinet will re-consider if they wish Adult Social Services to develop a business case in the light of the Panel's comments next week.
The proposed public sector care company would manage Norfolk County Council's current and future care accommodation, including Housing with Care and Residential Care Homes.
The new care company would be responsible for helping the County Council achieve its aim of giving older people in Norfolk - who need housing, support and care - a range of choices which offer them the care and support they need to lead as independent a life as possible.
Wholly owned by Norfolk County Council and operating within the Norse Group, the new care company should be able to access the commercial opportunities and capital funding needed to transform residential care homes to provide the extra 2500 care places needed across the county.
At Monday's meeting, members will receive a detailed report which makes clear that no decision will be made until the business plan is drawn up and scrutinised by the Panel and Cabinet and that members will be involved throughout the process.
Councillor David Harwood, Cabinet member for Adult and Community Services, said: "Our aim is to provide more care places, at better value and in better buildings. Housing with Care schemes are excellent, and the public tell us they want more of these. Our care homes are aging, with some over 40 years old, and while our staff provide an excellent service, we need to think about the future. This change requires major capital investment in difficult economic times which we can not do alone. The new care company could help us access the commercial opportunities and capital funding necessary to make our strategy a reality.
"This is an innovative new approach which could lead the field nationally and transform our care homes service to be one of the best examples of its kind in the country. Clearly, though, the business plan - which is yet to be drawn up - will need to demonstrate that the figures stack up and that this arrangement is in the best interests of Norfolk people and beneficial to the County Council."
The meeting will take place at 10:30am next Monday in the Edwards Room, County Hall.
Members will also receive a paper on the In House day services proposals with the recommendation, following last month's Adult Social Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel, that existing in-house community care day services are taken into a new partnership arrangement. The Overview and Scrutiny Panel also added the recommendation that the new day opportunities partnership retains the option of maintaining the Essex Rooms and / or Silver Rooms as day centre facilities alongside the new community based services if there is found to be sufficient resources and demand. Additionally, that the County Council gives serious consideration to assist any offers to run the Essex Rooms and / or Silver Rooms as community administered day care resources.
Also on the agenda is the proposal to close five Norfolk high schools and replace them with four academies. Cabinet is recommended to agree the closure of Costessey High School, Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College, Charles Burrell Humanities School, Rosemary Musker High School and The Park High School.
If Cabinet approves their closure and the Department for Education gives its go-ahead, the new academies would open in their existing buildings in September.
Members of the Cabinet will also be asked to consider proposals to reorganise junior schools in the Grimston, Mundesley and Bacton clusters.
Currently children in the areas are the only pupils in Norfolk that have to change schools in the middle of a key stage.
It is proposed that Ashwicken First School and Gayton First School should become primary schools for five to 11-year-olds. Pott Row First, Church Hill First and Grimston Junior would all close and be replaced with a primary school on the Grimston Junior site.
The proposals would also see Bacton First School become a primary school and Mundesley First School an infant school. Meanwhile the age range at Mundesley Junior would change to seven to 11. |
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